Deep Water Exploration

A Lensography of What Lies Beneath the Waters of the World

A challenge to create 30 lenses in a new (to me) niche was a no-brainer. I am excited to explore the oceans and seas, deep water lakes and other mysterious realms in search of ancient artifacts, lost treasures, and jewels and gems of the deep that is only beginning to scratch the water's surface. We have so much to learn about this other side of the horizon. Deep canyons, sunken ships, ancient cities of the deep - all hold answers to mysteries we perhaps never even fathomed. Let us take a look at what the beauty and darkness have in store!

Peter Benchley on the Sea

"I take nourishment from the sea,

in reality or imagination.

It speaks to me of continuity,

of promise, of adventure."

Ocean Planet: Writings and Images of the Sea

1926 - Diving in the Sargasso Sea

"I dived and entered an ultramarine world, with sprigs of amber sargassum weed floating near the ceiling of that world. Tiny fish darted past, and once, even with the dullness of my aquatic vision, I saw a small school vanish from view - a group of timid flyingfish which took to wing and entered the air at sight of my strange appearance.

If You Want to Build a Ship

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

— Antoine St. Exupery

Charles Lyell on the Principles of Geology

"It is probable that a greater number of monuments of the skill and industry of man will, in the course of the ages, be collected together in the bed of the ocean than will exist at any other time on the surface of the continents. ” Charles Lyell in "Principles of Geology,"

USS St Paul

Oceanic Trivia

Courtesy of the Smithsonian

US Navy Ship Classification

Ammunition ships: for volcanos or names suggesting fire and explosives;

Battleships: after states of the union;

Destroyers: in honor of dead persons associated with the Navy or Marines;

Hospital ships: with "synonyms for kindness" or "other logical and euphonious words;"

Ocean tugs: for Indian tribes;

Provision storeships: for astronomical bodies;

Submarines: after fish and other sea life.

-Ninety percent of all volcanic activity occurs in the oceans.

-The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth's water. Less than 1 percent is fresh water, and 2-3 percent is contained in glaciers and ice caps.

~ the phrase "Pooped out" originally described the condition of seamen caught on the poop or aft deck after a wave from heavy seas crashed down upon it.

~Chitin, a natural polymer in shellfish exoskeletons, has been made into water-resistant paper and edible food wrapping. But recent work has demonstrated that it also has antifungal properties and promotes healing.

It's not all about physical objects - Living Things are Treasures, Too!

Sea Turtle

As a lover of wildlife and a lover of water, I vow to include lenses on "treasures" which include living things in the ocean, seas, and fresh waters of the world. I will explore all kinds of precious gems of the deep. Some will be living, others will be not. The deep has plenty of space to discover all kinds of precious gems. I have 30 lenses to discover as many as I can. Let this challenge bring us closer to our underwater worldly friends.

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean

Roll on, thou deep and dark

blue ocean--roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep

over thee in vain;

Man marks the earth with ruin

--his control

Stops with the shore.

Lord Byron 1818

The full lens list - In order of creation

1. Blue Holes of the BahamasBlue Holes are simply openings to undersea caverns, found in the ocean. They are called 'blue holes' because they are distinctly darker blue, due to the dis

2. Pannikin Plain CaveThe Movie 'Sanctum' was mostly fiction, but the premise was based on fact. There was an actual diving party who were trapped in an underwater cave due to a

3. Russian AtlantisNot to be confused with Space Shuttle Atlantis, Russian Atlantis is an actual place on earth: buried beneath the Black Sea off the Taman Peninsula. Under th

5. Clive Cussler's Ocean ExplorationMost of Bestselling Author Clive Cussler's novels are centered around deep water mysteries. His real life experiences as an ocean explorer give him plenty o

6. Jean-Michel-CousteauJean-Michel Cousteau's work in ocean exploration and preservation began as a child, with he and his younger brother Philippe tagging along with their famous

17. Diving with SharksShark diving is a growing industry, and that is good news for sharks! Why? because the more interest and investment we put on observing these great and nearly prehistoric beasts of the ocean, the less is spent on killing them.

20. Searching for Amelia EarhartA collection of various theories about what might have happened to Amelia Earhart and her plane, somewhere over the Pacific Ocean

21. The Giant Pumpkin RegattaIt's the kind of thing one might experience in a dream. It makes no sense, but seems perfectly logical at the time. Once a year, Giant Pumpkins, some elaborately decorated, are gently lowered (sometimes by crane) into a river or lake, gutted, and...

23.Box JellyfishFacts about the deadliest Jellyfish, safety tips, causes of their exploding population

24. Whale SongsBaleen whales, generally larger than toothed whales, have vocal chords and are the whales we think of as "singing". Most scientists agree the songs are for mating. However, it is not clear why some sing when no mating activity is involved. These gent

28. Samurai CrabThe legend of the Heike Samurai and their evolution in the face of a crab

30. Baby SealsBaby Seals, why they are so adorable, and the horrible way they are hunted and killed. Plus, what we can do to change it! There is a reason this one was last. It is an incredibly emotional topic to tackle!